American Honey
by Bridgettalladega
Summary: Kyouya has never wanted anything more than to be heir to his father's company: surely a summer business course and a couple of people couldn't change that, could they?


**Bridgettalladega: Hi guys!(: This is the first new story I've written in a while; I've been trying to get back into the hang of writing now that I have more time. Thi is just an intro-chapter, but please expect regular updates! Enjoy!**

Many times in life, as in business, there are unforeseen challenges and trials. There are those things that one could not possibly prepare for; bankruptcy, a shifting market- change. Changes, though not always bad, are always unexpected until they arrive. And there are many ways in which a person can deal with these changes. Some people might refuse to believe that change is even necessary. Some believe that change is for worst.

But it those, those with self-confidence, self-assurance, and pride, that are able to see these challenges and these changes as blessings- those are the people who in the end remain above all the others, their heads held high, and they are the ones that come out no worse, but certainly better than they were before.

I liked to consider myself in the latter group- being the third son of a business man; I knew all about challenges and how to be strong, rise above them, become better because of them. I knew that circumstances could work against you, and that to be able to adapt to them was what made you the best, in the end.

I knew all these things, and yet sometimes there are changes and challenges that are so unexpected, so unplanned for, that even the best at adapting are left blind-sided and shocked. Are left to wonder how they would manage, what strategies they could use to even begin to make their way through.

And that was to be how I found myself, in the summer before my last year of high-school; but in the days leading up to it, I had no idea then what changes were to come.

"Kyouya! Are you going to sign up for summer classes?!" Tamaki asked, bounding over to me in the hallway, too loud for a Monday morning; he knew that when it was early, my mood was tolerable at best, and yet he still insisted on being as cheerful as he would be if it were, say, a Friday afternoon. He smiled widely at me as I groaned, adjusting my glasses. How long would it be until I was seated quietly in my Statistics class and away from his loud voice? Usually, I was able to endure Tamaki's loudness so early, but I had gotten at maximum, 4 hours of sleep the previous night, because I had needed to recheck the finances of the Host Club.

And due to that, and what with finals for my classes, I hadn't had time to think about summer enrichment courses yet; however, the year was quickly coming to a close, whether I was prepared or not. In fact, at the end of this week, I would total up and announce the profits that the Host Club had drawn in this year, and prepare the budget for next year. Lessons learned from this quarter were, as always: 1) Not to let Tamaki get his way all the time; I would be sure to reinforce this now as I was sure our profits were lower than they were supposed to be and 2) Don't let the twins convince me to buy frivolous items.

"Of course I am. It'll be a valuable tool to me." Tamaki nodded, clasping his hands together.

"They have the lists posted around! I'm thinking of convincing our daughter to take an art class with her Daddy! Would Mommy like to join us?!" I chuckled, shaking my head as a group of Host Club regulars swooned over Tamaki. They were probably thinking back to yesterday's cosplay- Hikaru and Kaoru had the idea to have everyone dress up as knights. Costly, but the revenue was much higher than expected, so truly, all had gone well.

"I will be taking a business course, Daddy." I stopped by one of the lists posted outside my class, glancing quickly.

I had taken most of the enrichment programs on there- Business Today, Economy and Marketing, Stocks and Risk- some, even more than once, but they always seemed to add a new ones, and in particular, the one in the lower left-hand corner caught my eye.

"Which one are you looking at, Mommy?"

"Business Travel." I murmured, reading through the description carefully. It promised a hands-on business experience against competition in the corporate world; something that I knew I would have to handle when it came time for me to run a company.

"That one sounds boring! Haruhi and I are going to miss you if-"

The bell rung then, cutting him off as I smirked, walking into the classroom.

"We'll have to discuss it later, Tamaki." I called, as the classroom doors swung shut behind me.

But of course, there was no use in discussing it- I had my mind set on that course, and nothing would keep me from participating in it. It seemed to be promising; and I had enough money in my own account that I could finance this expenditure- especially if, in the end, the pay off was as great as I was hoping it would be. I still had to bring it up to my father; coolly, as though I were talking to him about the stocks or the business report for the day- no other demeanor would be acceptable for a conversation with him, anyway.

"Father...the Ootori family is not going to be extremely busy this summer, are we?" I asked, carefully selecting my words, as he flipped the page of the newspaper.

"I don't believe so; are you asking for any particular reason?" I nodded, as Fuyumi, who had come over for the occasional dinner, clapped her hands together.

"That's wonderful, Kyouya! Are you and your friends planning on going anywhere?!" I shook my head, adjusting my glasses.

"No; I was thinking about investing in a business course...Business Travel, actually." I sipped at the water in the glass in front of me, as Fuyumi sighed.

"Don't you think you might want to spend some time with your friends? You've taken so many courses already-"

"Fuyumi, don't discourage your younger brother. If this is the way he chooses to spend his summer, then I will permit it. In fact, I would rather him be doing this program than spending time with those friend he met in his... club." My father said that last word with the kind of disdain he only reserved for those things that truly disgusted him; stock market crashes and improper behavior, for example. I would assume he though the Host Club fell into the latter of the two categories.

"Thank you father; I am sure that this program will be more than beneficial for my future." I replied, as Fuyumi sighed, pushing her chair away from the table.

"Father, do you mind if I excuse myself?" He nodded, waving his hand at her as she walked quietly out of the dining hall. She was upset; I knew this, as she had told me many times- upset that my father expected me to try so hard, upset that so much pressure was put upon me. But she was being foolish. I enjoyed the challenge; I enjoyed proving myself capable, for as the third son of the Ootori family, this was how I had been raised. Determined, level-headed. Single minded and goal oriented.

Fuyumi wouldn't understand this; the competitive nature would forever be kept solely between the Ootori sons- my brothers and I, though I knew I could neither tread upon them nor bring them down. I must respect them and rise above them; this, I knew even Fuyumi understood.

"Kyouya, you know your grades have been perfect this semester- as expected of an Ootori. However, that club of yours- well, perhaps a summer apart from them will clear your mind of such foolishness."  
"Yes father, I understand."

I went upstairs after dinner, and lay down on my bed, staring up at the ceiling. I didn't regret the Host Club- of that, I was quite confident. But was it possible my father was correct? Would this summer apart from them change my views? It was obvious that amongst my peers at Ouran, the Host Club served not only as a status increase, but as a valuable tool for making connections. However, what would the other students in this program view the Host Club as? The same as me; would the club be highly regarded? Or, was it possible that they would view it as my father did- foolishness, silliness?

Certainly, those that were less apt to understand would view the club as a way for me to take advantage of the ladies that attended Ouran. And although this was true, it was not the way they were certain to see it- I used my connections with them to get closer to their companies, to their parents, not to their bodies or to their hearts. I, in fact, regarded most of the girls that visited the club as carelessly as one would perhaps regard small-talk or a magazine. Nothing more, nothing less than what they were at face-value. Except, of course, if there was a certain merit to talking to them; then, I might find myself getting involved more deeply.

I rolled over onto my side, closing my eyes. With finals almost over and the summer ready to begin, I should have felt relieved. My hard work paying off with the grades I was sure to receive, the closing of a great and prosperous year. It would be nice to travel for business this summer; it would be nice to make new connections that would be of value to me in the future. It would be nice to get out of the house for a few weeks; it would be nice to leave the country for a brief reprieve. And yet, as I rubbed at my face, a groan escaped my lips.

It was strangely hard to sleep that night.


End file.
